Family:A Link To The Past & Bridge To The Future
by LibbyLou22
Summary: A collection of one-shots in past, present, and future based on a slightly AU concept. The story explores the roots of the family and it's reaction to triumph and tragedy. Address the Legacy of Marion through the people she left behind. CHAPTER 4 Posted addressing 1x12
1. Breakdown

This is my continuation of A Different Life it's not required to have read the previous story because I summarized it here however it might be easier to have read the previous story first. It's only 5 chapters.

This story will be mostly one shots or 3 part stories but all in the same universe. Just an exploration of different moments in the Heartland story and stuff that could have happened.

~~~Heartland~~~

Jack Bartlet had been pretty lucky in life. He lived in the middle of God's country with his cows his horses and his family. He really did have the most wonderful family. He had married his first wife Lindy at a young age and their daughter Marion was their pride and joy. His wife had died of Cancer but her spirit lived on his daughter Marion and her two girls Lou and Amy. After a tragic accident their father, Marion's husband Tim had left her. And jack had helped to raise his granddaughters as well as one young foster child that Marion had taken in named Scott Marion and Scott, who was now a vet worked together to save traumatized horses.

Several years ago Jack met Lisa, a young blond with two girls around the age of his granddaughters. Lisa had left her father's home and run off to marry young and by the time she was 38 she had three kids. Her oldest son Colin was killed while serving in the war, devastating the family and leading her husband to drink and turn to violence. Lisa fled with her two daughters Cora and Clare and returned to life as a horse trainer and rider at Hudson race track. Jack and Lisa met and he could recall falling for her quite instantly. After a terrible accident, Lisa was forced to give up riding as well as make amends with her father and divorce her husband who was jailed for abuse. Within a year after her accident, which left Lisa with a slight limp and the occasional need for a cane, Jack had asked Lisa to marry him. The two family's merged well and Jack adopted Cora and Clare and turned his upstairs attic in to two separate bedrooms and a third bathroom to allow room for his growing family.

For a while people where happy. Jack and Lisa where especially happy. Lou and Marion, whose relationship during Lou's teenage years was rocky escalated the older Lou got. Then a letter came accepting her to college in New York. She left happily, ending things with boyfriend Scot Cardinal. Cora who had always idolized Lou and wished to be like her followed a year later to attend the same school.

Now as Jack looked at his dinner table it seemed empty. There was less joy and laughter with Lou and Cora gone and even though it had been a while since they had gone, years, the house still seemed empty.

Clare was 16 and Amy was 15 but the two were less dramatic than their respective older sisters and significantly quieter.

"What's everyone's plans for tonight?" Lisa asked looking around the dinner table.

Clare smiled, "Dad said he was going to help me with my roping. I'm trying to get ready for the competition next weekend."

"Amy and I are going to go pick up a horse." Marion said looking at her daughter and reminding her with her eyes not to mention Mallon's Farm and their plan.

Jack nodded, "Well be careful we have some weather moving in tonight. Supposed to get some pretty bad storms."

"I'll be fine dad." Marion said.

Amy smiled, "We'll be careful I promise."

~~~Heartland~~~

Lisa waited outside the terminal for Cora and Lou with bated breath. She willed herself not to cry the moment she saw them. Lou appeared first and Cora followed behind and as soon as Lisa saw them she noticed Cora cover her face with her hand to hold back a sob. Lou turned to look back and then when she turned back to an approaching Lisa her face was twisted with the grief that only comes when a daughter loses her mother. Lisa wrapped her arms around the two girls and allowed them to cry.

When their tears had temporarily dried Lisa took charge and directed them to the car. "How's Amy?" Lou finally whispered.

"The doctors say she is stable but they have her on a ventilator and she is in a coma. Don't know when she is going to wake up." Lisa said stroking Cora's hair as she pulled her daughter in close. "I'll take you guys to see Amy and then back to Heartland to rest. The service is tomorrow."

Lou looked surprised, "What about Amy?"

"They said we shouldn't wait for her. That it will likely be a while before she wakes up. Your mom can't wait that long to be put to rest." Lisa said tossing the suitcases in to the back of her car.

~~~Heartland~~~

The service drained everyone and no one said a word on the ride home. The group gathered awkwardly in the kitchen for lunch but no one ate much of anything. "I got chores." Jack grumbled as he stood up and grabbed his hat.

"I can help you." Lisa said standing up.

"Don't bother. I can do it on my own." Jack growled.

Lisa was taken back, Jack never spoke to her like this. She brushed it off and looked around, "I am going to the hospital, anyone need a lift?"

That night when she returned from the hospital Lisa strode out to the barn in search of Jack. "Jack?" she called out.

"What?" Jack grumbled.

"I just came out to see if you needed any help." Lisa said softly leaning up against the office door.

"I told you I don't need any help." Jack growled. "Just go back to the house. I don't want you here."

Lisa nodded. "I understand. I just wanted to check and see if you needed anything. I just want to help."

Jack looked at her with tears his eyes. "You can't help. My daughter is dead! She is dead and there isn't a damn thing you or I can do about it! I know you don't understand, but I need to be left alone. I had a child three days ago and now she's gone. I never get to see her face again, hug her, tell her I love her." Jack paused his lip quivering, "I need you to go. I don't think you understand." His voice was loud now and tears where falling down his weathered face.

Lisa shank against the wall tears falling holding back sobs, "Don't raise your voice at me! You think I don't understand? I think you have forgotten something. I lost a kid too. I know what it's like to get that phone call, to bury them in the ground knowing you'll never see them again." Lisa paused as a sob escaped her. "Just because you never met him doesn't mean he didn't exist. He was a person. He was my son. He liked toy cars, mint chip ice-cream, and adored his sisters. He joined the army because he loved his country and died in a senseless accident. Shot on accident during a training exercise. You know all this, his pictures are in the house you've seen them. Don't tell me I don't understand. I know how this feels. Colin was my first child, my whole world and he had the most wonderful laugh. I'll never hear it again." Lisa let out a sob.

Jack tried to form words but none came out.

"I loved her too you know, I hurt too. I know what this feels like." Lisa let out a small cry and wiped away more tears, "There is nothing worse in this world than losing a child. It hurts so much and it changes you, scars you deep down. I was married to a decent man, but losing his son made him mean. The pain and the drugs and the drinking made him yell and scream and hit. I've gone through this. I know how it goes. Lisa stepped forward until she was close enough to put her arm on Jack. "You are going to be sad, upset, hurt, depressed and every other feeling you can possibly think of. You'll forget, and find yourself smiling, then feel guilty and hate yourself for feeling even a little joy. Nothing ever heals this pain, time just makes it hurt less, it heels the wound but the scar will always be there and it will always hurt."

Jack looked at Lisa her light blue eyes smoldering with tears and a plethora of feelings. He reached for her pulling her in to a hug where the couple sobbed grieving for their children and the pain they knew the other was feeling.

~~~Heartland~~~

I felt like Jack really had it together in S1E1 and in all honestly there had to have been a moment where Jack broke down. I hope you like the first installment. Not sure if I will continue on with this episode or skip to a different one. Please leave reviews and suggestions on episodes or parts of episodes you might be interested in seeing in this AU version of Heartland.


	2. Forgiveness and Understanding

Three days had passed sense the funeral and the family had spent every waking mom ent they could at the hospital. Lisa and her daughters had taken over the bar chores to allow Jack and Lou to be with Amy who still hadn't woken. The girls had been a great help but they had been talking the night shifts at the hospital to allow Lou and Jack to sleep alone without Amy spending the night alone. That left Lisa doing large amounts of heavy labor. She mucked stalls, feed horses and moved cows dally.

She was tired. But in a way it was cathartic, it allowed her to work through her thoughts and emotions. Much of the barn work was things she had done her whole life just on a large scale and the cattle work was something she used Paint for and she honestly felt he would have done it without her atop his back if she had let him.

Somehow after moving cows to the south field Lisa found herself at the cemetery. She dismounted and looped Paint's reins around the fence and when she looked up, she realized that she was not alone. A tall dark figure with a cowboy hat was knelt at Marion's grave.

Before Lisa could decide weather to leave quietly or make her presence known Paint snorted and the man jumped to his feet and wiped his face. Lisa stepped forward and lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude."

"It's fine I shouldn't even be here." Tim said moving towards Lisa.

"You have just as much right to be here as anyone else. Her friends deserve to say goodbye too."

Tim shook his head. "I don't think she'd call me a friend. I think she would have called me every other name in the book but friend." Tim paused, "We had a- falling out. Years ago. And I heard what happened and I just got in the car and started driving. I never apologized for the way I treated her. She saved my life and I didn't even know it because I was young and stupid." Tim's voice cracked. "She gave me a life and I just threw it all away."

Realization that the cowboy was Marion's ex hit Lisa like a ton of bricks. "You know Marion told me once, that forgiveness and understanding are the two most important parts of the healing process for horses. They need to forgive people for all the hurt they have caused them and understand what happened before they can learn to trust again."

Tim chuckled slightly. "Yea that sounds like her."

"When I first met Marion, I was pretty broken. My ex-husband and I we got married really young. And we had three kids, lost our son in the military and after that my husband changed, he drank did drugs, and he was emotionally and physically abusive. So I left with my daughters and came here. Marion has always preached this forgiveness and understanding stuff and she and I spent hours and hours talking about everything that's happened. I've known her for 8 years and it took me 6 to find that forgiveness. We've had several wonderful conversations now on the phone and I've gained that forgiveness and understanding she talked about. She defiantly had forgiveness and understanding about you leaving her and the kids." Lisa said. "I think you need to forgive yourself and look at why it was you left and how it helped you. From what I understand you where in a bad place. Are you in a better place now?"

Tim nodded. "Clean and sober. Working."

Lisa smiled slightly, "Good. Then practice what Marion preached and find some forgiveness and understanding. Don't let guilt and grief destroy your life."

Tim nodded trying to find words for a response to this stranger pouring out her heart. "Thank you?"

"Lisa. Lisa Bartlet."

Tim froze stunned, "Bartlet?"

Lisa paused, "I am Jack's wife."

"Jacks wife? So he's remarried. How. How are you so nice to me? He must have said such awful things about me."

Lisa looked at Marion's grave. "Just because I'm Jack's wife doesn't mean I didn't spend 8 years at the dinner table with Marion Fleming. I live by her motto: Forgiveness and understanding." And with that Lisa moved toward Paint, "It was nice to meet you Tim. I hope to see you around." And with a node she rode away leaving without doing what she had come to do but feeling like Marion had somehow intended for this encounter to occur.

On her ride home Lisa decided not to tell Jack and Lou about her encounter with Tim. By the time she untacked Paint and returned to the house there was a tearful voice message from Lou for her telling her that Amy had awoken.

~~~Heartland~~~

These bills they are all unpaid. Grandpa, Lisa why didn't you do something earlier? Banks are calling every day." Lou chastised upset.

"Your mother has done the finances for years. She always had it in hand." Jack reasoned.

Lisa nodded, "And your mom and I came to the conclusion a long time ago that this was her business and me getting involved in the finances would only complicate things. Besides that I have Fairfield to run."

Lou sniffed back tears. "Grandpa why can't you just use the dishwasher?" She moved to take the dishes from his hands. "Just let me do it."

Dishes clattered and Lou dropped a plate to the floor with a clatter. "Why the hell did mom and Amy have to go up to Mallon's Farm?" Lou was in-between shouting and crying.

"That's what your mom did Lou. She saved horses in trouble.

"In the middle of the night? In the middle of a storm?" Lou paused and wiped a tear from her eyes. "That creepy drunk Mallon."

Lou jumped as she heard Amy slam her door shut. Lou covered her face and sank to the floor crying. "I was so awful to mom. I hated her. And even now I still hate her, for doing that to Amy, for being so irresponsible. She took a huge risk and didn't think about how it would effect the rest of us. I don't have a mother anymore. She's just suddenly gone. I mean when I was in New York we didn't talk much but it was nice to know that she was there. That she was happy and alive and I could call her. When Amy woke up, I went to call mom and I got her voicemail and I realized she would never get it." Lou's voice broke. "She will never get to see me or Amy get married or have kids. She will never be able to give me life advice or chastise me for doing something dumb." And with that, Lou broke down and began to sob.

Jack bent down to comfort her but that only made Lou cry harder and she lept up and rushed to her room.

Cora who had been sitting at the kitchen table quietly doodling on her napkin looked up, "You sure know how to clear a room." She said dryly before realizing it might not have been the appropriate thing to say in a time like this. She had an odd sense of humor, she knew that but having lived in New York for so long as an artist she had forgotten that this wasn't the time or place to speak her mind or make inappropriate jokes. "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate-"

"It's alright Cora. I really do know how to clear a room." Jack sat down next to her grateful for the distraction. "Now tell me about your new art gallery showing."

Cora smiled, "It's paintings of Hudson and well mostly Heartland. I have this one its of the sunset, you know how it sets across the way here and just seems to light up the world in all the different colors, well I attempted that and it's my favorite. But I am working on this sculpture thing that's pretty cool too. I already have a buyer too so that's good." Cora droned on distracting Jack at the surface from his troubles.

Lisa watched from the dining room where she had strewn papers with a slight smile. Her oldest daughter was living a different life than she had envisioned for her. One of large cities and Midnight art shows in Brooklyn. Lisa was cultured, and she loved to travel, but she couldn't imagine calling such a large city home. Cora had a unique sense of humor, one that she used to defect her feelings, and while it often got her in trouble, Lisa was grateful for it in this moment as she watched a bit of life on Jack's face as Cora described how her bed folded out of the wall and her closet was also the bathroom.

Cora was incredibly artistic and devoted her life to painting and sculpting. As a teenager Cora had wanted nothing more than to be like Lou. Lou was two years older and had a lot of big exiting ideas about New York and while the two girls where not close in reality, Cora had always idolized Lou's every move. In Cora's young mind she had been too old to be close with Amy and Clare who had been inseparable instantly, and Lou was only two years older… But two years was a lot and it got Cora in to trouble often. Lisa worried that her living in New York, even though she had lived there for several years, was part of her teenage quest to gain Lou's approval.

Between the times that Lou left and the time that Cora left Cora had fought with Lisa daily. They fought over dying her hair, wearing tight tops and everything else one could imagine. And during that time Cora had turned to Jack. The two had always had a close relationship, out of the two of her girls Cora had always been closer. It had been her idea to become formally adopted and to call him dad. But before she left for school they had become even closer and when she had left Lisa noticed Jack moping for weeks after. Jack was a different kind of person, he didn't do things the way everyone else did. And she supposed Cora was the same way and that was why they had gotten along so well. As she looked at the two that night she forgot for a moment what year it was. It seemed like Cora was 17 again and Lisa half expected Marion to come around the corner with popcorn and ask if she wanted to go on the porch and drink wine and complain about being a parent to teenagers.

God how Lisa missed Marion. She was never really like a stepdaughter. She was more of a sister or friend. Marion was wise beyond her years and provided Lisa with more profound advice than a minister or philosopher or life coach ever could have. Lisa owed her a great deal of thanks for all that she had done. She looked over at her picture on the mantle. "I will take care of them." She whispered. She glanced at the most recent family picture taken last Christmas. "All of them."

~~~Heartland~~~

I really want to make Marion's death more meaningful and try to incorporate all the things that she might have done with horses in to how she treated people. I had to kill her even though this is AU because it's such a big part of the story but I think she lives on in the show a lot and it's just not talked about. So I am addressing her "legacy" here beginning in this chapter and continuing with Ty in the next chapter. This became a supper Lisa centric chapter and I have no idea how that happened because this was supposed to address Amy coming home but I guess I will try to do that in the next chapter.

Let me know what you think.


	3. Selfish

"I hate him!" Amy seethed as she stormed in to her bedroom.

Clare, who shared the large upstairs bedroom with Amy jumped. Once upon a time she had loved sharing a room with Amy. When the family had first moved in together it was a strange merger given that Lisa's kids where Jacks grandkids age. Lou and Cora where less than pleased with the idea but Amy and Clare had been thrilled. Amy had given her bedroom to Cora so she could move upstairs to the newly renovated bedroom and share with Clare. Jack had offered to make the one room into two as it was a large space and wouldn't have been difficult but Amy and Clare had felt that it would be more fun to share. "Like a sleep over every night." they had said. And most days they loved sharing. Even now at 15. But Amy losing her mother had changed things. She was mad upset and never slept. Clare didn't know how to help her but she felt for the first time ever, awkward around the girl she considered her best friend.

"How could grandpa do this?" Amy continued.

Clare snapped out of her thoughts, "What? Who?"

Amy looked exasperated, "That guy. Ty Bordan. My mom apparently had invited him here, like the way it was with Scott. But Grandpa is going to keep him! He almost ran me over with his truck while I was out riding."

Clare stood up and checked the window. "Oh that guy. He doesn't look like he's from around here. Who's the horse? The black one in the round pin?"

Amy moved to stand next to Clare. "Spartan. The horse from the accident. Grandpa thinks we have something in common."

Clare looked at Amy knowingly. "Yea."

~~~Heartland~~~

After the fight at dinner where Amy stormed off, dinner fell apart. Ty slinked off and Clare went to do homework Jack and Lisa disappeared and Lou and Cora where left to clean up the disaster that was dinner. Lou tossed dishes in to the dishwasher and Cora pulled them back out to rinse them before re loading them.

"I just don't get it. Heartland is broke, something has to be done. She is almost 16 she needs to get with reality." Lou looked at Cora exasperated.

Cora rolled her eyes. "She isn't like you. Money doesn't mean anything to her. This place is her life. Remember when my mom and your mom forced us to come home for Christmas that one year and Amy wouldn't come inside even though it was freezing because she wanted to bed down all the stalls and surprise your mom? She didn't do that just for your mom. She did it because she loves those horses. She loves this place." Cora paused. "You and I spend our days among cross walks. Not cows. And sure we are happy. But if you take this place way from Amy, from Jack, who are they? This is their home. My mom and Clare and I could be happy anyplace, we never had home that lasted more than a year, we were always moving. But Jack and Amy, they are homebody's. Remember when my mom drug everyone to come see us in the city one year. Remember how Jack and Marion and Amy never smiled? That's because this place is what makes them smile. It's what makes them happy, its like the key to every joyous facial expression. Without it they wouldn't be the people we love." Cora was mad now. "You need to be considerate of other people's feelings. You are so incredibly selfish."

Lou took a step back. "Selfish?" She snapped. "I am not. I am trying to save this family. Where do you get off calling me selfish?"

Cora's eyes flashed, "You understand that Amy missed the funeral right? That Marion's death probably doesn't seem real. Her mom just up and disappeared in her mind. And now not only does she not have closure, she has you going on and on about money like it's the only thing that matters. And yes Lou, you are selfish. You just want to get this taken care of so you can leave. You are not taking your time and trying to help your family recover emotionally. You just want to stuff the mess in to a trash bag and toss it out. Pretend it doesn't exist. You do that a lot. You do that with me."

"What do you mean? I don't treat you like trash!"

Cora rolled her eyes, "Not usually, not when we are here. But in New York it's like I don't exist. You don't call you don't text unless you need something. You are so embarrassed by me. You always have been. I know that I am different, and quirky and whatever but you and I used to be close. Then Jack and my mom got married and suddenly you hated me. Didn't want to introduce me to your friends because you didn't know what to call me. Friend, step grand sister, grandpa's step daughter, I get it it was weird. But up until we all lived together you and I got along great. Then you seemly got over it. But as soon as I moved to New York it was like it was when I moved in to Heartland all over again."

Lou moved to speak but Cora cut her off. "You are all about appearances. Everything needs to be good all the time. That's not how life works! It's not good here, and it's not something you can fix right away. `Things here at Heartland right now are bad. And I am not talking about finances. I am talking about Amy and Jack and all the rest of us." And with that Cora stormed off leaving Lou alone and stunned.

~~~Heartland~~~

"I don't know what else to do Lis." Jack said sitting down on the bed to pull off his shoes.

Lisa was quiet for a moment. "We could ask my dad for the money. Just enough to tide us over for a bit. Till you can get a herd of cattle ready for market. Or till I get a win on one of my horses. I told Clare she couldn't ride in races till she turned 17 but she has her license now, she could ride in the races and save us the cost of a rider. I've got a few horses to sell too."

Lisa had a small business breading training and racing at the track. It was nothing like what her father had going at Fairfield and while the two where on speaking terms their attempts to work together had never gone well so Lisa kept horses at the track and her business was fairly successful despite its small size. But keeping them at the track left her with large stabling bill and very little actual profit.

Jack looked at her and shook his head. "No. I can't do that to ya. You've just started to get a name for yourself. And Clare is not riding yet you told her 17, you can't break that now. She is so young, it's too dangerous. You know I think 17 is till too young."

Lisa nodded. "I agree. 17 was our compromise and even that was a knock down drag out fight. But Jack we need to do something. Lou despite her efforts is just making things worse with Amy but she is right, something needs to be done to keep this place afloat."

Jack paused, "Val offered to buy us out. Or even just some of the place."

Lisa paused, "No. No no no. That Val, ugh! What nerve. She never got over the fact that I married you. She still has a thing for you. Ugh I can't believe she offered that! What does she even want with Heartland?"

Jack shrugged, "She was just trying to help. Besides, she knows I chose you."

Lisa rolled her eyes, "I still don't like it. And you are not selling any bit of Heartland! I would sell my whole business before I let you sell Heartland, especially to the likes of Val. We will figure this out."

~~~~Heartland~~~


	4. Community and Family

Clarification: Lisa's dad is still alive so when Amy worked with Promise and Gallant Prince, it was thanks to her dad not Lisa. I didn't want Lisa to be able to just "save" Heartland with Fairfield money because it wouldn't be true to the show. I will make slight changes to the show in this but nothing as major as Lisa saving the ranch. However because of this often times when the show had used France as Lisa's reason for not being there I can't do that because she doesn't own Fairfield and thus has no property in France so I will often write her in the way I had written Clare and Cora.

Things had gotten better at heartland over the past few months finically, the open house had brought in a significant amount of clients and while they were not out of the woods yet, things where looking up at Heartland.

Lou and Amy had somewhat settled their issues and Lou had also made amends with Cora who had briefly returned to New York only to discover that her art show had been a flop. Her art, almost exclusively nature and ranch paintings was not something that people in the city found to be worth buying, they wanted abstract and different. Rather than continue to go in to debt, her student loans where already killing her financially, she ended her month to month lease in the apartment with the bed that folded out of the wall and had moved home. She had gotten a job as an art teacher at the local children's center and while she disliked it, it was paying her loans and helped her to scrape together the money together for old car. She was living at Heartland happily and thanks to Amy had begun to work with Pirate, a trick riding horse that Scott had brought over several months earlier. To her trick riding was a form of art, more like the performing arts classes she had taken in college than her paintings, but it told a story and she appreciated that.

Lisa looked up from her paperwork as Cora strode in the door. "Good ride?"

Cora laughed, "Not bad but my fingeres where frozen after about ten minutes so I just untacked him and helped Amy, Clare, and Ty with the rest of the barn chorse." Cora sat down next to her mom. "Ty asked Amy to the dance."

Lisa looked up with interest, "Really? What did she say?"

"Yes. Is Clare going?"

Lisa nodded. "As student body president she has a hand in planning it so she has to go. I actually just hemmed one of your old dresses for her to wear."

"The green one on the sewing machine?" Cora asked

"No hers is red. The green one is mine. I have to go to a dinner for the race track. They are inducting a good friend of mine in to the local hall of fame on Friday night. You want to come? I have an extra tickit and Jack doesen't want to go."

Cora smiled, "Sure! That sounds fun!"

~~~Hearltand~~~

Friday night came around quickly and all the girls gathered in Amy and Clare's room because it was the largest to get ready. Lisa worked on everyone's hair while Lou tackled everyone's markup. Amy who disliked the idea of makeup all together required some convincing and in the end Clare siting on her to hold her still while Lou outlined her eyes with a black pencil. Clare left early to go set up and was even allowed to borrow Cora's car. When everyone else finally came downstairs Jack teared up a bit at how beautiful all the women in his life were.

Lisa smiled and put her hand on Jack's shoulder as Lou and Scott greeted one another followed by Amy and Ty. "Are you sure you will be ok alone tonight?" She asked. "I could probably get an extra ticket to the dinner if you wanted to go."

Jack shook his head, "I think I'll enjoy a night to myself."

Lisa smiled and planted a kiss on his lips, "Alright then, enjoy your night."

And with that everyone was gone.

~~~Heartland~~~

It seemed that no one enjoyed their dinner at their respective event because everyone magically reunited at Maggie's in desperate need of real food. They were laughing and joking with one another. Cora had joined Lou and Scott at their table and Amy and Ty and Clare and Soryra had snagged a table nearby. Lisa was enjoying her conversation with Maggie when the phone rang. Maggie answered it and when she turned around to look at Lisa it was obvious something was wrong. The words sounded fuzzy as they came out and before Maggie had finished saying them everyone was on their feet moving for the door.

When they arrived back at Heartland they were met with a large number of fire workers and several large trucks. Horses where screaming in the distance and calling out for their friends. The smoke was thick and Lisa felt week as she tried to run across the gravel in her heels. She watched as Amy ran towards the barn and as Ty grabbed her and pulled her back to safety. A fire chief approached the group but Lisa couldn't hear what he was saying because in that moment seferal men moved a stretcher with a man she recognized as her husband across the lot towards the medical truck. Lisa followed quickly and grabbed Jack's hand as the workers settled him in to the truck and sped off.

Amy looked around willing herself to move but her feet seemed frozen in place. She felt Clare guide her to someone's car and put her inside it. Even going as far to buckle her in. Clare climbed in next to her as Lou jumped in the passenger's seat and Cora took the wheel stepping on the gas before she even had shut the door all the way. Amy looked back at her beloved barn and at Scot and Ty who stood in the drive watching the car depart chasseing the ambulance. It didn't seem real.

~~~Heartland~~~

"Lisa?" Lou called quietly from her room.

Lisa appeared in the door way and Lou motioned for her to come inside and shut the door. "Yea."

"How's grandpa?"

Lisa shrugged, "He is as you would expect. Honestly under the circumstances I think he is better than what he should be. But he is far from OK."

Lou nodded sadly, "I spoke to the insurance company today. The barn wasn't insured."

Lisa looked surprised, "Have you told Jack?"

"No. I don't think I should but I wanted your opinion."

"Normally I won't advocate keeping things from him-" Lisa paused, "As his wife, I try and make it a rule not too, but right now he is seriously impaired and I think he needs a few days to recover and process things first. He has a concussion and that's not something to play around with."

~~~Heartland~~~

Later that afternoon, after Val Stanton had told Jack what she had heard when Lou and the insurance agent had been talking and the family had come clean to Jack their world was rocked again when a clattering sound followed by a thump indicated that Jack had collapsed on the floor. Lisa felt her whole world stop worrying that he had dropped dead of a heart attack or something terrible. She tried to ask someone to call for help but no words escaped her mouth. She just sat on the floor moving his head in to her lap in hopes of helping him anyway she could. And just like that she started to cry. She stroked his hair as Lou and Amy gathered around Lou taking instructions to check his pulse and Amy standing unmoving above Lisa looking down at her grandfather.

He was all Amy had left. He was the one with the responsibility of raising her, of being there for her now that her mother was gone. If he died she didn't know what she would do. She had Lisa and Lou and the others but it wouldn't be the same. Her grandfather was a lot like her and he was the only one who truly understood her love for the ranch. If he was gone, she worried the spirit of Heartland would die with him.

~~~Heartland~~~

Lisa and Lou slept in Jacks room overnight waiting for him to wake up. When he finally did the doctors gave Jack a stern look and informed him he would be staying for two days no matter the argument. Jack forced Lou and Lisa to go home for the following night and when it was time to pick Jack up Lisa was in the midst of a secret plan to save their ranch. She had heard from Maggie that Val Stantion was hovering over the ranch ready to buy a part of it.

"Amy, Lou? Can you guys handle picking up Jack for me? I have some things to take care of here." Lisa asked as she poured a cup of coffee.

"You are not going to pick him up?" Amy was surprised, Lisa had been restlessly awaiting Jack's return. She had been cleaning and cooking all morning.

Lisa sighed, "I am just so behind here and I want to make sure that everything is right for your grandfather's return. Besides, I am sure he would like to spend some time with you two girls." Lisa smiled, "Go. I'll be waiting when you guys get back."

And she was, along with half of Hudson ready to rebuild the barn. Jack and his granddaughters where grinning from ear to ear when Lisa met them at the truck. "What's all this?" Amy called smiling as she looked up at Ty in the loft who was fixing the window.

"Is this what you were up too?" Lou asked

Lisa laughed as she wrapped her arms around her husband carefully and planted a kiss on his lips. "It was Maggie and Scott's idea. I just helped her get a date set and provided the snacks. I wanted to see your faces and I couldn't have done that from the truck."

Lou greeted Scott with a kiss and Amy smiled Jack before rushing off, presumably to find Ty.

Jack wrapped his arm around Lisa as they walked towards the construction. "Boy we sure are lucky."

Lisa smiled. Lucky indeed. It hadn't been a good week, and Hudson came together to support them. It wasn't luck. It was something much more. A sense of community, of family.


End file.
